New risk management specialist hired by Extension

Patrick Warminski is ready to help producers look into the future in his new position as a Texas Cooperative Extension specialist of risk management.

Warminski, a White Deer native, will work with the Financial and Risk Management Assistance program (FARM Assistance), a strategic-planning program offered by Extension, in conjunction with DeDe Jones, also an Extension risk management specialist in Amarillo.

FARM Assistance allows specialists to consult with farmers and ranchers on a one-on-one basis to help run projections and computer models that outline a 10-year operational plan, Warminski said.

The program allows the individual to make hypothetical alterations to an operation, such as the purchase of more land or equipment or changing the crop rotation, and determine how the changes will impact the overall financial situation, he said.

Prior to taking the Extension position, Warminski worked with the Panhandle Groundwater Conservation District in White Deer as education coordinator and field lab technician.

He earned his bachelor's degree in agricultural economics in May 2004 from Texas Tech University and a master's degree in agricultural business and economics from West Texas A&M University in August.

"This job fits my education background and it's what interests me," Warminski said. "I want to stay in the agriculture industry, and if I can help give producers educational assistance or guidance, that would be fulfilling to me."